“Tell me, Mrs. Reeves, how many lives do you think you’re down to now?”
***
Leaving the library, Seth tilted his head from shoulder to shoulder and popped his upper back. With Cooper and Mr. Sanderson in attendance, Duke Kendall had requested a private consultation with the three gunsmiths. Not impressed with the rifle he had seen at the contest, but quite impressed with thefront line rifle, His Grace wanted one, “Just like it, but not at all like it.”Which Seth quickly surmised to mean he wanted the flair of Mr. Nott’s rifle with cartridges and a telescope. When he told Mr. Sanderson the amount he was willing to pay for such a rifle, their draft became much more intricate.
The whole while, Seth had an uncanny sensation that something waswrong.
Unsure how much time had passed, he reminded the men that he had a wife to attend to and excused himself. Seth stepped from the library and walked to the grand staircase to return to the ballroom. As he touched his foot to the first step, a voice called up to him.
“Mr. Reeves!”
“Mr. Nott,” Seth greeted jovially. He paused as Mr. Nott ran up the stairs to him, bewildered at the urgency on the man’s face.
“I’ve been searching for you all night. I was rather hoping we could speak. Do you have time?” Without waiting for Seth’s response, he continued, “It’s about your sketch. I spoke to Mr. Robert Perkins this morning. If you’ll recall our conversation, I thought it was his trademark. He recognized the piece immediately, he sold it to Sir Reginald Thomas six months ago.”
Fire burned in Seth’s gut and under his skin as memories popped into place. The man from Hyde Park, the disgusted sneer filled with enough malice tokill,matching the one from the ballroom and—
Seth’s eyes shot to the nearest clock.
He had seen himtwenty minutes ago!
Focusfocusfocus!
“I believe he’s in attendance tonight,” Mr. Nott continued to speak, but Seth could hardly hear him over the blood pounding in his ears. “Is there anything I should do?”
Seth reminded himself tobreathebecause it could benothing. It was likelynothing. But he had to find Cassandra. Sir Reginald washere, and for the safety of all, someone had to be notified without causing mass hysteria.
“I need you to find Lord Blackmoor and tell himexactlywhat you told me,” Seth said. “Bediscreet, but do not tarry!”
“Mr. Reeves!” Mr. Nott called out, but Seth was already taking the stairs two by two, rushing through the halls, moving deliberately through to the ballroom where he caught sight of Lady Jasmine.
Cassandra wasn’t with her.
Don’t assume. Don’t assume.
Before he reached Lady Jasmine, a junior footman grabbed his arm and pulled him behind a curtain.
Grunting, he turned to face—
“Trevor?!”
“Mr. Reeves!”
Dressed in General Martin’s livery, Trevor’s face flushed red, breathing hard. Words left his mouth so fast his tongue tied over them.
“It’sMrs.Reevesshesstrappedinahedgemazewithamanwithagun!”
“Trevor, calm down,breathe. What did you say?”
“That man from Hyde Park! He’s with Mrs. Reeves—he has a gun!”
“Where?”
“The hedge maze!”
No.
Seth grabbed Trevor’s shoulders and shook him. “Was she alive?!”